As beautiful as it is deadly, Origins’ Egyptian playground is finally everything you wanted the Creed to be.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred demonstrates that Blizzard Entertainment is following the right path with its ever-evolving action-RPG. The addition of a new region and class breathe new life into Sanctuary, and smart changes to progression and core systems only improve the baseline experience further. The story could have been more impactful, but this expansion still offers a journey worth taking.

And if EA manages to add more defensive options and sturdier motion tracking, Wii could become the best place to play Madden in years.

Whether it's through the broad strokes of the brilliantly judged puzzling and flawless control or via the delicate flecks which make up the finer detail – try playing around with the background scenery to see just how much Enril can mess about with – the sheer joy of playing LostWinds is undeniable.

All of this gameplay does come at a price: There are extremely long loading times to suffer through before each entrance video, before the actual match, and after the match is over.

A fantastic game. It approaches puzzle solving in a very open-ended manner that increases the game's replay value dramatically and the overall novelty from the first title continues to entertain in this sequel with the new adjectives system.

Skyward Sword HD gives one of the most misunderstood Legend of Zelda games a second chance. It's an under-appreciated gem, one that finds the space to really breathe with a more reliable and relaxing method of control embedded within it. Skyward Sword has its fair share of problems, but it makes up for many of them in moments of true brilliance and defiance against established series conventions. Say what you will about Skyward Sword, but it's good to be out on an authored adventure with Link again – saving Hyrule one inventive dungeon and challenging boss battle at a time.

Muramasa will stand out on Wii, shining as one more ray of inspiration to other developers who have passed on Wii for good.

Amalur does a lot of things better than some of the best out there. The combat is stronger than Skyrim's by a long shot, and the world feels more alive than games like Fable. It tells a good story well, and lays the foundation for a series we hope to see more of in the future, fate be damned.

It's not often that a stalwart franchise like this reinvents itself so significantly, but Madden NFL 13 has pulled this off with aplomb. Brimming with innovation on the field and off, it's the best Madden of the generation.

Poker Smash is one of the best puzzle games you’ll find on Live Arcade, and for a mere 800 points, you just can’t go wrong.

With more modes than you can shake a stick at and a rock-solid core basketball engine, it's a superb experience that collegiate hoopsters won't be able to tear themselves away from - even as they shake their fists in rage.

Naturally I couldn't resist the chance to revisit Avowed a year on, with the PS5 launch giving me the perfect excuse. But I don't feel like I'm repeating history by replaying the same game at the exact same time in 2026, because its big anniversary update alongside its release on Sony's console really does change things for the better – and after sinking 20 hours into a fresh playthrough, I've never been more convinced that now's the time to play Obsidian's RPG (no matter what platform you're on).

It’s clear that Monaco is a labor of love, from the meticulously detailed levels to the quirky art style and devilishly complex experience. Clearly, it’s possible to be inspired by many unrelated influences that yield an original, delightful, and frenetic outcome; Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine is living proof.

Ambition may have outstripped ability, but there's no doubt that fans of the series will find much to love about this entry, flawed as any of the rest of them. That's the best we could have hoped for.

By sticking to its roots, Midnight Club Los Angeles may not be a master of innovation, but as one of the most polished, finely honed and adrenaline-filled racing games, you won’t find any that do it better.

All this administrative juggling also takes its toll on a story that's hard enough to follow even when it has your full attention. With a cast of characters that can be difficult to tell apart, crucial details buried in reams of documents, and a penchant for surreal interludes, it takes some work to keep up with the haunting undercurrent of Signalis. At times it does seem worth the effort, because there are intriguing themes burrowing away behind the scenes. But then you find a key that prompts yet another trek across the current area, and perhaps it doesn't after all.

Moonlighter manages to perfectly balance the best bits of Stardew Valley, Dark Souls and Binding of Isaac for a game that just keeps you coming back for more.

Ultimately, Ultros is a deceptively deep and mechanical Metroidvania driven by its eye-watering psychedelic vibes. It's not easy to do something that feels unique and fresh in video games, especially within a genre that's thriving at the moment. With this in mind, I don't think I've ever played a game like Ultros, and for that alone it's worth recommending. I certainly haven't written the words "cosmic uterus-based horticulture" in anything I've published before, and, surely, will never do so again.

If you're willing to put a little effort into learning the rules and nuances of Catan, you'll be rewarded with potentially endless amounts of strategic board game bliss. Although the AI opponents are remarkably interesting to play with, your Catan experience will hinge on getting your real friends to play with you.

Planet Zoo is a complex, deep simulation game with too much to give, if you can get past the minimalist tutorials.

Despite continuing gripes about the not-so-perfect controls, ordinary visuals, and screaming fans that you only hear and never see, Tiger Woods 09 shapes up as the best golf title yet for the Wii. There’s plenty to do and just about anyone can grab a club and jump right in.

Oh how we wish that the PS3 Madden were as smooth as its 360 cousin. It's not all bad, of course, and there's a bevy of stuff to do across scads of modes to take up plenty of time. Unfortunately, the distinctly inferior product for Sony's pricey console will likely serve as yet more fodder for never ending flame wars.

A polished and refined instalment that values your time more than the previous games and keeps the focus on entertaining you throughout.

Some of the humor errs on the side of cornball, but the charm, vaguely sleazy trappings and surreal violence of the Sam & Max comics are more intact here than in any other adaptation thus far.

The game is challenging, visually stunning and is truly a unique experience not found anywhere else. Although you can use the controller, playing with the Move and its use of vibration makes the PS3 version of the game truly a unique experience.

A triumphant return for the strategy series, and well worth the wait.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is a great sequel. While retaining the aiming system and side-on perspective that made the original a joy, it features a generously redesigned class system and new overworld to explore. However, old problems with mission repetition and stingy XP rewards deter you from experimenting with classes, pulling the game down from excellence.